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9 including minor girl charred to death on KMP expressway near Haryana's Nuh
Tragedy strikes as bus fire on KMP Expressway in Haryana kills 9, including an 11-year-old girl. 15 injured. Driver flees scene. Police investigating.
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Nine people, including an 11-year-old girl, were charred to death and 15 were injured after the bus they were travelling in caught fire on Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Expressway at Tauru in Haryana in the early hours of Saturday, officers aware of the matter said, adding that the exact cause of fire is yet to be ascertained.
9 killed, several injured as bus catches fire on KMP expressway near Haryana's Nuh
The accident took place when 64 passengers were on board and were returning to Hoshiarpur and Ludhiana in Punjab after a seven-day pilgrimage to Ayodhya, Prayagraj, Varanasi and Mathura in Uttar Pradesh, they said.
The bus caught fire near Dhulawat Toll Plaza in Tauru, some 45 kilometres from Gurugram, around 2.30 am. As soon as the incident was reported, police officers and administration officials reached the spot. Four fire tenders were promptly pressed into service, and the blaze was brought under control. Police immediately took the injured to the hospital, the officers added.
Police said that six out of the nine deceased passengers have been identified so far. The minor girl was identified as Jovita alias Khushi Sharma, and the others as Shashi Sharma, Gautam Sharma, Sunita Bhasin, Darshan Lal and Amar Rani.
Victims broke windows to escape
Superintendent of police, Nuh, Narender Bijarniya said that the patrolling team that was deployed near the spot reached within minutes and informed fire station. “With the help of locals and fire station teams, the fire was doused. They also helped the passengers come out of the bus. The main door was jammed and the people were seen trying to escape through the windows. The driver fled the spot after the accident,” he said.
“The 64 passengers belonged to a close-knit community. The trip organiser, who is also a social worker, lost his son and granddaughter in the fire,” Bijarniya said.
Nuh deputy commissioner (DC) Dhirender Khadgata said, “Nine victims, including six women, were declared brought dead on arrival at the hospital and 15 are undergoing treatment. One patient was referred to PGIMS Rohtak, and two to Delhi. The condition of the remaining injured passengers was reported to be stable,” he said.
Khadgata said that the a team from forensic lab in Madhuban reached the spot and collected samples, and also examined the bus.
Police said that the crime team reached the spot and collected samples and examined the bus to ascertain the exact cause behind the fire.
Bus driver booked
Police registered a case against the driver under sections 279 (rash driving), 304A (death due to negligence) , 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), and 427 (causing hurt) of the Indian Penal Code at Sadar Tauru police station on Saturday, said police.
Rakesh Kumar, 60, a bus passenger, complained to police that after the bus caught fire, despite repeated requests the driver not only did not stop the vehicle, but also accelerated it. “After a few minutes when the fire spread all over, he parked the bus by the roadside and fled from the spot. We have lost our near and dear ones due to the driver’s negligence. Strict action should be taken against him,” he said.
Jitender Kumar, station house officer of the Sadar Tauru police station, said that the bodies were handed over to the family members after the post-mortem examination on Saturday. “The family members in Punjab were informed and many of them reached the hospital,” he said.
The injured passengers were identified as Hansraj Singh, Payal Sharma, Soni Sharma, Swatantra Sharma, Sudesh Kumari, Urmila Sharma, Nisha Sharma, Anju Sharma, Meena Rani, Krishna, Naresh Kumar, Jasvinder Rana, Baljeet Singh, Poonam, V Kumari and Shanti.
A helpline number — 9996384249 — was floated along with the police helpline number — 8930900281.
On April 25, three people, including one minor, were killed and 10 suffered injuries after their tempo allegedly rammed into a stranded truck on KMP Expressway in Tauru. The victims in the tempo were on their way to Jalandhar in Punjab from Mathura-Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh. Police said the accident took place around 12.10am when the victims were returning to their respective homes in Jalandhar.
Raj Babbar postpones rally
The incident prompted an outpouring of condolences on social media platforms. Congress leader and Gurugram Lok Sabha candidate Raj Babbar postponed his scheduled rally on Saturday following the bus fire tragedy.
Babbar cancelled all planned events and visited the victims and their families at Nalhar Medical College. “The incident is very unfortunate and sad. Nine people have lost their lives, including one minor girl, due to burn injuries. This tragedy struck within my constituency, and under such heartbreaking circumstances, it is inappropriate to organise rallies and hold meetings,” he said.
Babbar met the survivors and their families, offering his heartfelt condolences and support. He listened to their harrowing accounts of the incident and assured them of his commitment to providing necessary assistance. “My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims. We stand together in this moment of grief, and I will do everything in my power to support those affected,” he said.
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Rao Inderjit Singh pays condolences
Sitting MP and BJP candidate Rao Inderjit Singh expressed grief over the bus accident. “I express my condolences to the families of those killed in the accident,” said Singh, adding that immediately after getting the news of accident in the morning, he sent a team to Nalhad Medical College, where the injured are being treated.
Singh said that the injured will not be allowed to face any kind of trouble at the hospital and are being given proper treatment. He added that BJP functionaries of Nuh, including party district president, are helping the victims.
